“The Sea of Flesh and Ash” is one of the best books I’ve ever read

“It is an aching thing to know that we are all so tiny, stumbling in a universe that is wider and darker than any Earth-bound sea.”

I’ve been reading books for 40 years, and I can honestly say that The Sea of Flesh and Ash is in my top five favorite books. It consists of two novellas by brothers Jeffrey Thomas and Scott Thomas. I want to emphasize that I greatly enjoyed both novellas, but The Sea of Ash by Scott Thomas especially moved me.

“This book began with a painting, Travis Anthony Soumis’ Dreams are Dark. It’s the brooding and beautiful piece that now graces the cover. Sean Wallace, the mastermind behind Prime Books, was so taken with this work of art (and who could blame him?) that he wanted to use it as the cover for a book. He had an idea: Would Jeffrey and I each write a story inspired by Travis’ painting — two novellas under one cover? The answer, of course, was ‘yes’…”

The Sea of Ash is exquisite. It is haunting. It is beautiful. And yes, it’s Lovecraftian.

Let me quote a few lines from the novella:

“I had never felt so alone,” he wrote. “Never had the universe felt so vast, and I so small within it. I had, through circumstance, been made aware of something, but of what? Something either too horrible or too beautiful for humans to know.”

“How small I feel, stripped of the security of disbelief. It is an aching thing to know that we are all so tiny, stumbling in a universe that is wider and darker than any Earth-bound sea.”

“The days go dark so early now. The tree shadows reach to each other and merge and the moon comes up, as if released from some forgotten stone temple, as if born of an ash-colored sea.”

An elderly woman lies dying in her hospital bed, beset by terrifying nightmares. A young Vietnamese woman begins to experience strange visions in which she is transported to a fog-shrouded alien world. An American research scientist is stalked by a menacing figure he calls The Crooked Man. Their destinies will mesh both in and out of dream, with dangerous consequences, in Jeffrey Thomas’ eerie dark fantasy The Sea of Flesh.

A Victorian Englishman summons a strange puppet-like being to an old Colonial inn. A doctor returns from The Great War and discovers a mysterious naked woman at the edge of the Atlantic. A contemporary collector of arcane books retraces the steps of these other men – adventurers who sought out the mysteries of neighboring dimensions. Scott Thomas’ The Sea of Ash takes us along as three men from three different centuries experience the wonders and horrors of an unknown New England.

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4 responses to ““The Sea of Flesh and Ash” is one of the best books I’ve ever read”

Excellent review Mike! Certainly worked on me, as I immediately went to Amazon and put it in my shopping cart. However, I’m a soft sell, because I’m slowly trying to obtain everything the brothers Thomas have published. Even though I’m trying to limit my purchase of paper books, due to limited space in my home, I simply have to read this, especially after such a glowing review!

Click the image! There are those who chant the eldritch songs, who wait at the angled gates, who gather in blasted, nameless places to celebrate the return of the great Old Ones. For centuries, for millennia, their tales have not been told. Within these haunted pages you will find their stories of yearning, terror, murder, and a faith that defies the commonplace understanding of humanity. Come and see what really goes on at night at Miskatonic University.

Click the image to purchase! This totemic set includes a hand-painted figurine suitable for display or dark contemplation, an altarpiece stand, and a booklet discussing the Ancient One's place in Lovecraft's works and in popular culture.

Click the image! There are those who chant the eldritch songs, who wait at the angled gates, who gather in blasted, nameless places to celebrate the return of the great Old Ones. For centuries, for millennia, their tales have not been told. Within these haunted pages you will find their stories of yearning, terror, murder, and a faith that defies the commonplace understanding of humanity. Come and see what really goes on at Miskatonic University.

Click the image! England. 1923. A violent earthquake has mysteriously transformed the village of Dennington Cross into a hellish realm of eternal darkness, overtaken by murderous beasts roaming the cobbled streets. English university lecturer Alexander Drenn attempts to flee the village but narrowly escapes plunging into the abyss that completely surrounds it. Upon returning home to live out his final days, Drenn finds a mysterious invitation to the home of Lord Hargraven, a man whose obsession with the occult has paved the way for a dark entity to wreak havoc on an unsuspecting world. But Drenn realizes he’s not the only one invited to the party—there are others who received the same invitation. Now they must discover why Hargraven chose to lead them straight into the belly of the beast and solve a riddle that will bring Dennington Cross back into the light.

Click the image. You are in for a sophisticated ride… Nightmarish, terrifying, dangerous, theatrical, often strangely profound, a ride which will inspire and haunt your mind.

Click the image. The incredible classic A NIGHT IN THE LONESOME OCTOBER is now available for Kindle in the UK!

Click the image for details. Cthulhu Armageddon is the story of a world 100 years past the rise of the Old Ones which has been reduced to a giant monster-filled desert and pockets of human survivors (along with Deep Ones, ghouls, and other "talking" monsters). John Henry Booth is a ranger of one of the largest remaining city-states when he's exiled for his group's massacre and the suspicion that he's "tainted". Escaping with a doctor who killed her husband, John travels across the Earth's blasted alien ruins to seek the life of the man who killed his friends.

A student takes a break from his studies at Miskatonic University to embark on an icy voyage, only to stumble upon the world of cosmic horror. The trip turns South and the narrator finds himself caught between the brutal realities of plantation slavery and Cthulhu’s minions. Set in 1837, this homage is a work of historical fiction set in the grim universe of H.P. Lovecraft.

Click the image for details! NecronomiCards is a horror themed tabletop card game for 2-4 players that requires sharp eyes, fast thinking, and a grim willingness to stab your "friends" in the back. It’s deviously quick to learn, and even easier to lose...

Click the image for details! CTHULHU ARMAGEDDON is the story of a world 100 years past the rise of the Old Ones which has been reduced to a giant monster-filled desert and pockets of human survivors. Also available on Kindle Unlimited!

Watch the trailer for the upcoming FROM BEYOND movie! Click the image.

Monsters exist. Yep, it’s okay. I’ll give you a minute. Better? Awesome. Now let’s talk about a particular government agency with a global and interdimensional reach that combats those monsters. Yes, sir. If it bites, claws, sucks, shrieks, flies, haunts, or curses - you call us. Okay, you don’t actually call us, but you get my point. My name is Skip Conway and I’ve recently been reinstated by that particular agency after an 18 month hiatus. Why? Click the image to find out!

Angels, demons, ancient cosmic beings, and even a dimensional-traveler clad in a trench coat made of duct tape come together in this fast-paced novel of magic, darkness, and consequences. Click the image to purchase.

Chris Lackey with the HPL Literary Podcast writes, "True, great horror. I love this book." The follow-up to his critically acclaimed collection, "You Shall Never Know Security", J.R. Hamantaschen returns with another collection of his inimitable brand of weird, dark fiction. At turns despairing, resonant, macabre and insightful, these nine stories intend to stay with you.

Click the image to purchase. A legendary creature in the throes of a deep depression, unable to commit the act of suicide. A man whose muscle twitches communicate with him. And more...TALES FROM THE WEIRD.

Click the image to purchase! SAS veteran Dr. Menard thought the War was through with him until an unspeakable evil returns from the depths of a forgotten time. Detective John Mitchell thought he understood murder. But that all changes when monsters are born during a faith healing at a local church. Psychic Medium Sarah Lynn Beauchamp thought she understood the dead, but the dead have a new plan for her. Behind it all, a mysterious figure lurks, controlling the actors from the shadows, ushering an end to reason, sanity and the world as we know it.

"The Thing on the Doorstep is creepy, very true to Lovecraft's story, with some great performances." - A psychological horror film based on the story by H.P. Lovecraft. Daniel Upton's relationship with his friend Edward Derby is abruptly changed after Edward becomes romantically involved with an enigmatic hypnotist. As Edward's behavior becomes more erratic and events unexplainable, Daniel investigates. Is it madness...or something far more terrifying? Available on Amazon VOD and DVD -- click the image to rent or buy!

Embrace the darkness, the haunts of the shadows that surround you. Pull up your covers and enjoy a read. Let yourself drift into that other world; the place where the author controls your vision. See what he sees. Hear what he hears. Relish this collection of short dark fiction stories. -- "Fresh Cut Tales gives us originality and ambition. Solid combination from a writer to watch." ~ Mort Castle, Bram Stoker Award winning author of NEW MOON ON THE WATER

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Michael Davis (Lovecraft eZine) is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.